Adjustable variable-speed mechanism



1.v H. WOOLCOTT.

ADJUSTABLE VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I4. 1919.

TTOHNEI' I. II. weeLCoII.

ADJUSTABLE VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I4, 1919.

Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTUH/VEY I. H. WOOLCOTT.

ADJUSTABLE VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FE.14.19i9.

1 ,329,945, 4 Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

i, 137226 s 27 Z7 A TTOR/VE V J. H. WOOLCOTT.

ADJUSTABLE -VARlABLE SPEED MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED FEB.14. 1919.

1,329,945. rammed Feb. 3,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

' TTRNEY JoHN H. WooncoTT, vor lnanars;Birne, ILLINOIS.

' ADJUSTABLEVARIABLE-SPEED MEQHANISM.

- y To' all whom t may concern.: Y Y y Beit-'known that I, JOI-IN H.Woonoorr,

- a citizen-of the United States,`residing at Harrisburg, inthecounty/of Saline "and State of Illinois, have invented 'new and usefulImprovements in Adjustable Varivable-Speed Mechanism, of which f thefollowing is -a specification; j' -This inventionfrelates to mechanical-inove'ments7 and has forits general object tov provide means foradjusting ythe relation between two eccentricallyvdisposed membersforming part VofV the driving connection r to a" driven shaft, and vthemotion of which driven shaft is designed' to be converted into' areciprocating motion, whereby to vary the speed of reciprocation duringeach cycle ofl movement of said shaft, and also to regulate the amountof such variation of speed.

- The invention is capable of various einbodiinents and applications,but is especially designed and adapted to be used for producing avibrating. or reciprocating motion for sieves or shakers for the purposeof bolting and grading materials, such' as the ground product ofcereals; When thus applied the invention enables the operator at will toregulate the How of material on eithera level vor'inclined sieve,toYcarry any thickness of stock or material desiredl on said sieve, and tomake the stock or material travel in eitherv direction desired. Suchobjects are attained by introducing anadjustable differentialspeed-producing connection inthe length of the drive shaft i whichproduces the reciprocating motion, whereby the rapidity of thevibratory'movement Vwill be varied either as'irespects the iovement ofthe vibrated member in' either direction or in different phasesofitsmove-v ment inthe samedirection.

The accompanying drawings illustrate three different embodimentsv of theinvenl tion all of which involve the underlying principle hereinclaimed.

kIn the drawings: p'

Figure 1 is abroken view in side elevation illustrating a preferredembodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a Fig. l; y.

K Fig. `3Vis av section on the line 3-'3 of Figs. 2,4cand'6; n

Fig. 4C is a `view partly infront elevation and 'partly in section of amodified con-VV section von the line 2-2Vof I ,Specification-#LettersPatent. Application ined February 14, i919. senin-No. 276,979.

1 A Patente Fens, 1920.

d' Figf isa view-in side elevation looking from the right hand side ofFig. 4;

Fig'. 6 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 4; Y

of Fig. -4 vtaken substantially on the line VF-ig. '7,is afraginental'sectional plan View y 7 7 of lsaidfgure andviewe'd inthedirec-l A tioirof the arrows; A y

. Fig.` 8 is a top plan View ofanother modi'- ed construction; and l lFig.-r 9 `is a view'in side elevation of the I parts shown in Fig.l 8.

The preferred embodiments iiiistraaf in Figs.` l, Qand 3, in which thenumeral 1 indicates a driving pulley which is provided with a-ninwardlyextending annular flange 2 having cut therein a curved slot '3. The

. slot 3 is eccentrically disposed lwith :reference to the pulley, its-inner endv beginning at a point removed lfrom the center of the pulleyvand its outer end terminating near the yperiphery of the pulley, asYshown jin Fig. 1.- "The numeral 4 indicates an annular disk having a hub5 secured on the driven shaft 6; Secured near the periphery of the disk4 is a pin 7, which extends yinwardly from the face vof the disk andintothe slot Y3; with which'it has sliding connection.

The flange 2v of the pulley is provided with an inwardly extendingannular hub '8, which' is rotatablymounted on a hollow cylindri-V calbearing 9 which is carried by and proliects laterally outward fromabearing-plate 10. The shaft 6 extends through the opening 11 inthebearing 9, said opening/being of considerablv largerdiameter than saidshaft to lpermit orV a wide range ofmove. `ment 4ofthe bearing relativelto the shaft.'

Thev numeral 12' indicates any 'suitable support, such' as a beam orwall` on which fis fiXedlv secured a bracket '13 vbv means of bolts 14.1or otherwise. The bracket '13 Dro- Avides-a`fiat supporting 'member 15.and the bearing pla't'evl()l is adiustably secured in "position onsaidsiipportingmember bvmeans Vof set-screws 16 passingthroughslotsfl'?,

provided near opposite ends of thebearingplate, 'and screwedinto thesupportin'gaffmern'4 ber Bv loosening 'theuset-screws :16 lthebearing-plate 10 can be 'moved in on'edirec# ceives an adjusting screw19. This adjusting screw is mounted in a flange at one end ofthe bearingmember 15 and 'is held in a relativelyjstationary position in said,flange f by means of collars 21`secur`ed on said screw on l,op ositesides ofmthenfiange. The outer endo the "screwis 4provided With a handWheel 22' forv turning it. v. Theshaft 6 is A,

suitably machinedv to provide a crank 23 on Whichfcrank is mounted theendeofl a thrust# bar 24, Fig. 3,' andshown in connection with l a:modification in, Fig. 6. This thrust-bar.` Will beconnected at itsopposite end portion to the device tofbereciprocated,"or agitated, suchdevice however, noty being shown. The

Y pulley lis driven by avbelt 25, and when so driven the engagement ofthe pin 7 in the 1, `slot y3 Will cause the disk 4 and consequently Ythe shaft 6to be rotated. In Fig. -1 I have shown various positionsoccupied by -the pin 7 in the slot 3k as the pulley 1 rotates.u In ytheposition shown infull lines, theY `pin Vis in thispostion the shafte-Wili be rotated at the slowest of thefvarious speeds afforded bytheconnection described; In the next rposi-v higher speed than in thefirst position de-V scribed. VIn the fnext position, to lthe left,-

tion, shown by dotted lines immediately under the former, the pin 7 willhave advanced to near the center of Athe slot 3, and will hence be'moving thel disk 4 and shaft 6 at a the pin 7' has moved outward tonear the rvother end of the slot 3, and hence the maximum of speed isbeing imparted to the disk 4 4 andvshaft 6. In the final and fourthposition :shown the pin 7 has'been moved in- L .Ward beyond the centerof the slot 3, re-v` ducing the speedof the disk 4 and shaft 6 to thatcorrespondingsubstantially to the speed attained yby the second positionofthe parts illustrated.y Only four positions of thepiniin the curvedslot are shown, but it will be` understood that the pin changes itspositioniconstantly "during the revolution' of the pulley, withrespectto tli'ejslot 3. The;V

positions g'illustrated",yA however,v are sufficient tomakeV clear thatthere will 'be a maximum v rotationand ascendingan'ddescendingvariations of .speed corresponding tothe motions of. the disk6.- Such Variations A inf *motion-f g 24'maybe .caused-.to-move rapidlyoutwardv and Slowlnmwards or, by adjusting f .the ibsar.1ng p la te.10,Vtqmiaxtreme :pasitiqn in;

lhigh speed, and a minimumV loW speed, with variations inspeed 'in theascending order Vfrom the y,minimum tothe ymaximum and variations zinspeed inthe descending order r fromy the maximum to the minimum. Thesevariations -in lfspeedare, of course,; reflected. inzthe rotationl ofthe Vvshaft V6Which inak given cycle'of l.movement will have a I naxi--.

mum -andia yminimum velocity of speed of will inturn be reflected-,bythe crank 23`,-a-nd` finally bythethru'stbarj24.,VY Thus the barv theoppositey direction to that 'at` vvhich lit was adjusted to produce theforegoing motion, vthe 'said-'thrustbar may be caused,- toy Y l move ataslow speed outward and at a'fast speed inward.' By such extreme adjust-Vments, the direction of fiow Vof stock on'rthe.. sieve agitated bythebar maybechangedfat will. Inotheryeords, if the ,adjustmentisj such Vasto'cause'the shaft 6 to lie'on one side of the center of thebearingg9,tlie'-fast ment offsaidthrust-,bar Willbe inthe oppo site@direction. i n the center of the bar 9 there-'Will beno var-- ation; inthe speed of' throWfof-the vthrust-1VV bar, as .the shaft Gvvill thenbereVQlvedat. auniform. speed. Adjustments of the bear-f ing v9 ineither direction to .cause-the center and 'the amount Vof such Y.variation during leach cycle of movementwill be ldetermined by thedegreebf theadjustment., 1f 1 of thesha ft. In this construction thepulley 1 isniounted asliiefore on a hollow bearing 8, which in this case1s mounted on the outer end ofa ylfcif'er 26', which is piif'otallyVmounted l.it-.27' on a fixed supportl 28.' "Part of the lever 26 is inthe'forni of a: bar29, one

Vendof' which is pivoted at 27 andthe other end screw-threaded in a bosson said lever'. In this construction the pull-ey 1 "is connected to thedisk il through the medium of-.a link 31, one end of which piwitailyVconnectedrto a pin secured'uon the flan InFigs. 4 to '7, I have shown amodifica-.- 'tion in the manner 'of producnigtlie motion .i and ofadiusting the variations in thc-speed of Vthe pulley 1 to approach,orrecedefrom,KV 1 respectively, the; center of thelshaft 6, will;` l

vary ythe speed or movement of. said shaft,v -f

and the other. 'ciid of which is pivot,y .yf mounted on the end cfapinifsecured near j u numeral ndicating the can plate for said ibearing. Mounted fon the side o't'ztlielevcr. 5. 115 v With avscrew-threaded aperture to receive an thev outer periphery ot theldisky ,Mounted on the support 1Q is afbracket l-dvhich ksupports ahearing 'for the nl' f't`z6.gthc

adiusting screw 87, which is in turn rotati- Y ably4 mounted 1n anges onthe bracket3iy A and prevented from vertical 'movement thereon bycollars A3S (Fig. The numeral; 39, (Fig. 7 indicates ai locking screw Ywhich enters the yend of the lug andren#V gages a fiat side of the screwA37 to prevent it from turning. By un's'erewinglthe vlocking screw 89and turning the screw; 37-1ginf one direction or the other, the ylever26 may be raised or lowered to vary the position of the' center ofthebearing Stivithjreference to the center of theshaftf 6, which, ofcourse,

makes/a corresponding change Yin therela` tion of the pulley to saidshaft. Vhenthe f adjustment has been made the locking screw 89 isscrewed into position and the lever QG thereby held in its adjustedposition.Y In order to permit of the adjustment. of the lever 26, thelug` 36 may be slidably mounted in a groove Sfin said lever and beclamped .in adjusted pcsitions by a clamping nut. s In Fig. 5 I haveshown four positions 'assumed by the link 31 in the revolution of thepulley l, these positions corresponding to the relative positions of thepin 7 and slot 3 shown in Fig. l. It will readily be seen that byadjusting` the lever 26 to vary the position of the pulleyT l relativeto the disk 4, the linl: connection between said pulley and disk willeffect the same variationsin speed of the shaft 6 during each cycle ofmovement as described with reference to thel pin and slot connectionshown in 1. l

In Figs. S and 9 I have shown another ein# .bodiment of the invention.In this conel, said shafts being normallyout of aline- The shaft 4.0 ispronient with each other.-

vided at its outer end with a disk 4a and the shaft l on its inner endwith a correspond" ing' disk these disks being' pivotally connected by alink le in the rsame manner as described in connection with theconstruction shown in withreference to the disk 4 and y pulley 1. Thedriven sha-ftmembei il() mounted. in bea-rings 45, on a carriage 46,which.v for convenience. is provided in the forni of a U-shapedcasting;` the legs of which rest upon the tops of parallel supports e?.The leas of the casting' 46 are provided with slots 48 through whichbolts `L9 pass and engage in the supports 47. 'V he head of the carriage4G has rotatably inountech in a lug 46a thereon,v an adjustingv screwwhich has screw-threaded connection with a zixed bearing' 5l supportedon and mounted between the supports 17.

Mounted on the shaft-meinber/JfO, and located between the supports 47, apulley the disks 42, 13, to each other, and thereby y effect thevariation inspeed of the shaft il therefore, I do not wish to beunderstood as limiting my invention to .either of the embodimentsillustrated in the drawings for producing an adjustable variable speedof a driven shaft.

. I claim:

l. Variabile speedl adjusting mechanism comprising a shaft, a hollowbearing surrounding said shaft and adjustable relative.

to the center thereof, a driving pulley rotatalbly mounted-on saidbearing, a driven member secured to said shaft, and a differentialconnection between said pulley and said driven member. l

Q.. Variable speed adjusting mechanism comprising a shaft, an adjustablesupport, a

hollow bearing mounted on said support and surrounding said shaft. adriving pulley rotatably mounted on said bearing, a driven membersecured to said shaft. a differential j therefrom', a driven memberconnected to saidshaft, a pulley mounted on said bearing, a pin-and-slotconnection between said pulley and said driven inenibenand means forlocking said` support in adjusted positions to vary the relation`between the center of said pulley and the center of said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN H. wooLcorT.y

